The disclosure herein relates to systems, methods, and interfaces for identifying effective electrodes used to sense signals from tissue and/or deliver therapy to tissue. The identified electrodes may be used in systems, methods, and interfaces for navigating an implantable electrode to a region of a patient's heart for cardiac therapy.
Electrodes may be used in various systems, devices, and methods for medical treatment of a patient. More specifically, electrodes may be located adjacent, or in contact, with tissue (e.g., skin, cardiac tissue, etc.) of a patient to sense signals from the tissue of the patient and/or deliver therapy to the tissue of the patient. Each of the electrodes may be effective or ineffective for sensing signals from the tissue of the patient and/or delivering therapy to the tissue of the patient for multiple reasons. For example, an electrode may not be effectively coupled to, or in contact with, the tissue of the patient rendering the electrode ineffective for sensing signals form the tissue of the patient and/or delivering therapy to the tissue of the patient. Further, for example, an electrode, or an electrical connection between the electrode and monitoring apparatus, may be damaged or otherwise non-functional rendering the electrode ineffective for sensing signals from the tissue of the patient and/or delivering therapy to the tissue of the patient.
Exemplary apparatus that utilize multiple electrodes may include multipolar catheters (e.g., catheters including multiple electrodes, etc.) configured to record activation times/voltage mapping simultaneously at different points along a coronary sinus vein or some other anatomic structure (e.g., used for electrical mapping). Further, exemplary apparatus may include multi-electrode electrocardiogram (ECG) systems for body-surface potential mapping configured to record simultaneous ECG measurements from multiple electrodes.